Area bodybuilders pumped up about finding perfect muscle definition

In the Springfield area, bodybuilding and figure shows have pulled in a range of participants, spanning ages and fitness backgrounds, but with a shared commitment to the competition. Bodybuilders spend a great deal of time scheduling workouts, pumping iron and consuming calories, in the form of healthy proteins, vegetables and fats, to power through exhausting weight lifting workouts.

When 18-year-old Alexis Yoswig graduated from Sacred Heart-Griffin High school in May, she weighed 191 pounds.

Six months later, after getting serious about physique competitions, the student at the University of Illinois Springfield has dropped to around 120 pounds. She found her motivation with figure shows, one of several types of physique-exhibition, similar to bodybuilding, competitions for women.

“I love muscle,” said Yoswig, who placed fifth in her class in the figure category at her first show in October. “I think that’s like the most attractive feature that a woman can have.”

In the Springfield area, bodybuilding and figure shows have pulled in a range of participants, spanning ages and fitness backgrounds, but with a shared commitment to the competition. Bodybuilders spend a great deal of time scheduling workouts, pumping iron and consuming calories, in the form of healthy proteins, vegetables and fats, to power through exhausting weight lifting workouts.

Although bodybuilders lift weights, the goal for weight lifters is to lift more pounds than opponents. Bodybuilders are trying to develop their bodies — with some trying to develop every muscle from head to toe with sharp definition and others coming as close to ideal proportions as they can. For women, categories in physique competitions also include fitness (which involves performing routines) or developing the best figure. Women in each category aim to achieve different looks, from more muscular in bodybuilding to a softer, toned look in the bikini division.

Bodybuilders and figure competitors show their bodies to judges, who assign scores. A number of organizations sanction the sport and host competitions, some of which feature “natural” competitors and drug tests to ensure bodybuilders are adding muscles without the benefit of chemicals.

Yoswig, who works out at Roesch’s Gym, 601 N. Amos Ave., said she planned to participate in a Rockford show Saturday through National Physique Committee Fitness for natural competitors.

The training regimen is intense for all the competitors, with workouts nearly every day. At 5 a.m. daily, Yoswig performs 50 minutes of cardio exercise to strengthen her heart. Between classes at UIS, she fits in another 45 minutes of cardio and weight lifting. Like most bodybuilders, she lifts six times per week.

From the court to the stage

Riverton’s Teri Egnot played professionally on the Association of Volleyball Professionals Tour for 15 years, even competing against three-time Olympic sand volleyball gold medalists Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor.

But, after a long career, including playing at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Egnot, then age 37, wanted a change.

“I’m tired of playing. I’ve been playing since sixth grade,” she recalled thinking. “(But), I’m always in a bathing suit.”

As a sand volleyball player, Egnot never wore heels. She competed while barefoot. Between tournaments, she focused on taking care of her feet — including avoiding shoes that cause stress.

But now that she competes in the figure division at bodybuilding competitions, she needs to know how to flex her muscles while wearing high heels — and not make it look like she’s straining.

Egnot, who works and trains at LA Fitness in Springfield, turned to fitness competitions in part to fill a void.

“I had to have something to work toward,” she said.

She looked for a competition with IFPA, the International Fitness and Physique Association. This organization tests, through polygraphs and urine samples, for banned substances, which include testosterone, and a long list of other hormones and stimulants.

“The assumption is that everybody’s taking something to look the way they look,” Egnot said. “It doesn’t mean they’re good or bad people.”

For Egnot’s first show, she picked a coach she’d never met. They corresponded online, and she sent pictures for evaluation.

When Egnot arrived at her first show, in Morton, the then-44-year-old was asked if she’d like to start in the novice category for new competitors.

She said no.

“I want to go against the best of the best,” Egnot explained.

She’s won numerous masters titles, for women ages 35 or up, and has two first-place finishes in the open category, which is for all female competitors. She also achieved two second-place finishes and one third-place finish.

“When I’m up against the 20-year-olds or the 30-year-olds, it’s my inner athletic drive and competition (and my) personality that wants to beat them,” she said.

Getting ready

Bodybuilding and figure competitors focus on consuming protein, such as chicken and fish, carbohydrates and even healthy fats, which can include peanut butter, guacamole and certain oils. They eat a lot of greens, including broccoli and green beans. With a week to go before competition day, they mix up their food plans. They sometimes even eat a greasy meal, such as a cheeseburger and fries, the day of a competition to give their body enough fats to handle the stress.

Athletes make sure to rotate their weight lifting from top to bottom, developing the chest, arms, stomach and then legs. They also mix in some cardio but it’s important not to do too much, too quickly. Egnot said the goal is to get leaner, but to save muscle while doing so — too much cardio can lead to the loss of muscle bulk desired by bodybuilders. As a result, many competitors walk slowly on the treadmill or use a StairMaster.

Page 3 of 5 - Some do cardio just three times a week, while others fit cardio in every single day. It all depends on a person’s current fitness level and ultimate goals.

Participants get spray tans the day before or day of a show. Female competitors get their hair and makeup done, and some wear fake eyelashes. Before a show, the women look for bathing suits that are designed to show off their physiques. The suits, which have extra-long straps and often are custom-made with a fair amount of crystal bling, can cost $250 to rent or around $1,000 to buy.

You want to add “anything that will enhance the presentation of your physique,” she said.

Because of her success, Egnot is sponsored by ProBody Solutions. They provide her with their products, which include protein.

During a show, competitors walk on stage and pose for judges. They practice the poses beforehand.

“If you don’t have a good backbone, it’s hard to take the results” if you don’t win, Egnot said.

“You can’t base anything of who you are and what you’re all about based upon somebody else’s opinion.”

For Egnot, the reward comes when she inspires others.

“They look at me and realize that you can do it at any age,” the 46-year-old said. Egnot works out with her husband, Ed Egnot II. He might start competing himself. Their family has grown to include their bodybuilding friends. “It’s a family at the shows,” Egnot said. “Everybody you meet there becomes your fitness family.”

Feels like home

Springfield’s Meshack Ochieng moved to central Illinois last December. He found a home for himself at FitClub and on stage in bodybuilding competitions. Ochieng previously participated in about 15 bodybuilding shows in his native Kenya.

He turned professional this year and has been able to compete for financial awards.

Among his top finishes, he took third place in the Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association Natural Universe Competition in Chicago in August, competing in the men’s bodybuilding open professional division. He also placed first in the National Physique Committee’s Pittsburgh qualifier in the men’s bodybuilding welterweight class.

Although figure competitors and bodybuilders work out at several Springfield-area gyms, many flock to Roesch’s Gym. Some say they have become close to other local competitors. Others have found new ways to compete after participating in other sports.

T.C. Roesch has been getting bodybuilding athletes competition-ready since 2008. He opened his gym in 1992 and moved it to a 1,000-square foot bigger facility one year ago.

T.C. and Erin Roesch once competed together in a couples’ bodybuilding division. They finished first and have the winning sword — not a trophy but a sword — to prove it.

Page 4 of 5 - T.C. says bodybuilding and training for competitions teach participants discipline and determination, and encourages participants to be goal-oriented.

He started his weight career with powerlifting, holding various records for squatting and deadlifts, he said. He traveled the world, including to France, Sweden and Canada.

After a pectoral muscle injury, he’s turned his focus to bodybuilding and will compete in an event this spring.

Rochester’s Jennifer Roark said T.C. and Erin have become like family and that she finds “kind of a sisterhood” with other women who compete.

Roark competed in her first fitness show Oct. 5, placing second in her class, which is based on height. The 5-foot-4 mother of two planned to compete in Rockford on Saturday and in several shows this spring.

“I always wanted to set a goal and kind of see how far I could push my body as far as how healthy I could be and how strong I could get,” Roark said.

She is focused on getting her pro card. Receiving a pro card allows competitors to compete for financial rewards and to earn endorsements. There are different ways to obtain a pro card, but Roark is hoping to qualify for a trip to the national competition to gain hers.

She’ll be 35 this January and plans to continue working hard in the gym. “I still want to keep pushing and keep pushing and get better,” she added.

Roark wanted to do something she was uncomfortable with. “(Being on stage is) something that I’ve always been afraid of and that was kind of the main reason why I didn’t want to give up,” she said.

Vallie Eden didn’t work out until she was in her 40s. She moved to Springfield about six years ago. A nurse, she got into fitness and started teaching exercise classes. “It’s a really good combination, though. Nursing is supporting people and this is trying to make people better and healthier,” Eden said. Last December, Eden started getting ready to compete. “The energy is so positive in here,” she said. “Everybody is so inspiring.”

This spring, 22-year-old Sly Hardy will compete in his first physique competition. He graduated from Lanphier High School, where he wrestled. He’s currently studying law enforcement at Lincoln Land Community College.

“I checked into it and I just kind of fell in love with it,” Hardy said. “I’m most excited for the transformation.”

Hardy joined Roesch’s Gym after a good friend, Corbin Coniglio, 20, encouraged him to check it out. Coniglio is a personal trainer at the gym, where he’s worked in some capacity since he was 16. He started cleaning once a week for a free membership. At 18, he competed in his first bodybuilding show.

Page 5 of 5 - “It just kind of consumes you in a way where you just become obsessed with making yourself bigger, better every single day,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle.”

Coniglio is aiming for a first-place finish in a middleweight division this spring. In National Physique Committee contests, men can range from bantamweight (less than 143.25 pounds) to super heavyweight (more than 225.25 pounds).

Tara Houle often brings her 6-year-old son Jarek to Roesch’s so she can be sure to work out. Jarek enjoys palling around with the patrons. “That’s like my home away from home,” Houle said. Since Jan. 1, she’s lost 55 pounds and competed in her first show. “It’s always been a dream of mine,” she said.

For at least one competitor, bodybuilding is providing a way to rebuild her life following an illness.

When Amy Fulk, 21, found Roesch’s gym one month ago, she had been through a trying and traumatic time.

Fulk suffers from interstitial cystitis, which causes a number of painful and, at times, debilitating problems, as well as gastritis and gallbladder troubles. She had an InterStim put in her back and said she was told she’d never be able to work out again. But now, largely because of clean eating, she’s in the gym nearly every day.

Fulk plans to compete in figure categories, and the stage won’t be foreign territory. She used to compete in pageants. She also played volleyball at Danville Community College until her health took its toll.

“Whenever I was sick, I promised myself that if I ever did go in remission that I’d just pack up and move and kind of recreate my life, kind of make it happier, the way it should be. I did that.”

Alissa Groeninger can be reached at 788-1542. Follow her at twitter.com/a_groeninger.

For more information:

Roesch’s Gym

601 N. Amos Ave., 553-4665

To talk with or learn more about Teri Egnot, visit her Facebook page by searching “IFPA Figure Pro DFAC NGA Teri ‘Tbomb’ Egnot.”